


In the forest I dreamt of you

by GabrielHawke



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 10:53:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20375560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabrielHawke/pseuds/GabrielHawke





	In the forest I dreamt of you

Throndir’s back is hard against the bare ground, his hands pinned above his head by a single, giant, red hand. A sharp nail runs down his chest, tearing buttons open on its way down. He gasped looking for air, but there didn’t seem to be enough in the whole forest. The hand pushed his shirt open, and gentle lips kissed his chest over his heart.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” the baritone voice rumbles inside his chest.

“Me too,” is all Throndir can gasp. “I’ve missed you.”

The hand lets go of him in favour of cupping Throndir’s face. A thumb caresses his cheek, the corner of his mouth. Throndir tilts his head and opens his lips, expectantly. The man in front of him doesn’t disappoint and leans in to kiss him. The way he kisses is slow, soft, but Throndir feels the pressure of tusks against his skin. With his now freed hands, he surrounds those impossibly wide shoulders and presses himself against his warmth.

“I want you,” Throndir moans. “Please, Red Jack.”

“I’m here,” he answers but doesn’t move from Throndir’s embrace. “I can give you everything you need.”   
“I need… I need,” Throndir starts saying, but before he can call Red Jack’s name again, a loud siren swallows his voice. Throndir tightens his grip on Red Jack, but, despite his efforts, he starts to fade away until he’s just holding a thin piece of fabric.

With a groan, he punched his alarm clock shut and turned to bury his face on his blanket. It had been ages since he had had a Red Jack dream and he would have given anything to stay there a little longer.

None of them felt as good or as real as the first weirdly vivid dream he had had ten years ago and the second that had caught him by surprise five years ago, but they had always helped him in times of stress. Also, every dream apart of those two had been less adventures in the forest to save a weird species of plant-people, and more… steamy situations with this huge man straight from a fairytale and into his bed. Or, in this case, the soil in the middle of the forest.

* * *

Weekday mornings were always the same. Shower, breakfast, take Kodiak for a walk and go to the cafe to start his shift. Not the life he would have chosen for himself, but it was the one that was keeping him fed.

And, well, he had plans to go back to college eventually, once he’d saved enough money. If he ever finished his degree, that would put him back on his track to be a park ranger like he had always wanted to be.

These days, that dream seemed even less realistic than the ones about Red Jack. There were envelopes over his table, reminding him of bills that should have been paid last month. Kodiak woke up from his bed that takes half the living room/kitchen and came to lick his hands excitedly. At least some parts of his day to day were worth it.

“Kodiak,” he sighed as he poured some coffee and sat down with the dog’s head on his knees. “Do you think Meek will want us as roommates?” He asked. He’s tried, but he also had to face the reality that he no longer could afford to live on his own, not with how much rent had gone up in the past years. And his only friend’s situation isn’t ideal, either.

Throndir was a bit ashamed to admit it, but, after years living in this town, his only two real friends were Kodiak and Meek, a guy that worked with him at the café. He lived with some distant cousins, and Throndir was sure space was already tight without adding him and Kodiak.

But that was not a problem for today. He pushed the envelopes to a corner of the table, drank his coffee and got on with his morning. He made a list of bills to pay and acquaintances who could help him find a new apartment with roommates who won’t mind sharing their space with a 70 kilos dog.

With that out of his mind, he rechecked his pack one last time before leaving with Kodiak for a walk. He wasn’t losing any second: as soon as he left work that day, he was taking his things and walking to the forest. If he was going to spend two days alone surrounded by nature, he wanted to enjoy as fully and for as long as he could. And, maybe, he wouldn’t even feel anxious about his real-life problems during those days.

* * *

Throndir closed his eyes and tilted his head up towards the sky. There were many sounds around him: Kodiak’s heavy breathing after a long walk, the birds chirping away all around him without a care in the world, mysterious rustles of leaves after small animals run away, either from him or from a predator. The smell of earth, and grass, and bark inundated his lungs. This is how life was meant to be.

A cold shadow settled on his face, reminding him to hurry and start putting the tent up and getting his camp ready. It was going to be completely dark very soon and he needed to be ready. It was a quick thing, and he let Kodiak explore their surroundings without getting too far away from him. The poor dog started to run here and there, smelling every tree and rock. He laughed. Both of them had needed a break from the small city they live in for too long.

A bark made him stop on his tracks. He stood up and saw Kodiak looking intently beyond the trees, into the thickest part of the forest. Throndir was immediately by his side, a hand on his collar and trying to see what had caught Kodiak attention so wholly.

“It’s okay, buddy, what is it?” He muttered, not loud enough to startle whatever was in there. Kodiak turned to lick his hand, and then back to look into the forest. Throndir turned to look at Kodiak intently. He had been startled by his bark, but the dog didn’t seem to be on high alert, and he definitely didn’t look spooked.

He took his knife, mostly to make himself feel safer, and took a few steps beyond the tree line. Kodiak followed, now he wagging his tail placidly. There was nothing there as far as Throndir could see, but he wasn’t going to start going deep into the forest so near sundown. It was clear that Kodiak didn’t sense any danger, so he set to walk around the perimeter of his camp. Just in case.

A mark on the ground stopped him on his tracks. Hoofprints. Huge horse hoofprints. Throndir scoffed, but just shook his head and continued walking. Who takes his really big horse all the way up the mountain and walks them through the forest? They seemed relatively recent too, so maybe it was the residual horse scent what had alerted Kodiak.

“Come on, let’s finish our job, it’s getting late,” Throndir patted Kodiak’s back and went back to camp.

Soon enough, the only thing he could see were the countless stars above his head. He had a long day of exploring ahead of him, but he couldn’t make himself go to sleep. It felt like he had to make every second count, because who knew when he would be able to be back out here again, instead of between the four narrow walls of his apartment. Where he wouldn’t live long anyway. Soon he would be missing his apartment from the even narrower four walls of a tiny room.

Throndir patted his face. No. This weekend only the here and now mattered. He was under a blanket of stars and not a single person around him, just his best friend and countless wild creatures.

He fell down on the grass, pillowing his head with his hands. If only he could stay like this forever, if only he never had to go back to the city… Kodiak came to lie down beside him, with his head on Throndir’s chest, who petted him without taking his eyes from the stars.

Minutes, hours later, who knows, his eyes closed without him deciding to, and fell asleep.

* * *

In the middle of the night, nature called. Not just the sounds of insects and wind, but the usual “you better get to the toilet right this second” call. Throndir groaned when he tried to roll off his bed. His whole back felt sore and then he remembered that he had fallen asleep outside.

“Could’ve saved myself the trouble of putting up the tent,” Throndir grumbled and, rubbing his eyes, he stood and wobbled toward the tree line. He didn’t go far, there was no one else around, just behind the first line of trees. He barely opened his eyes while he did his business and started to walk back to the camp.

Around the tree and past another line… only to find himself face to face with another tree, instead of the clearing where he had camped. In his half-sleep state, he must have walked in the wrong direction, so he turned around expecting for the trees to open after a few meters. His heart started to pound faster on his ears as he only saw tree after tree no matter how much he walked.

“Kodiak?” He called in a low voice. Nothing outside the sounds of the forest by night. “Kodiak!”

That was as loud as he dared to be, but still no response. This had to be the wrong way, but he couldn’t just turn around again. He didn’t know where he had come from. Throndir put his hands on a tree to support his weight, took a deep breath in, a long breath out.

He couldn’t spend the rest of the night in the darkness, in the thickness of the trees. He would just have to walk in any direction until he could catch a glimpse of the sky and try to find his way with the stars and the moon. He could do that.

He turned back to the way guessed he had come from, hoping he had been right the first time and the only problem was that he had not walked enough. Even though he hadn’t gone more than a couple of metres away from the camp. He walked with purpose, his eyes trying to find a hint of clarity between the trees. And then, he fell and didn’t stop falling.

Desperately, he tried to grasp any branch, or root, or anything that would stop him, but he just felt the ground moving under him and not stopping. Until it disappeared completely from under him.

For a second, he thought it was the end. Then his body got pressed against a warm wall of bricks, that was firmly gripping his waist so he wouldn’t fall. His feet didn’t touch the ground.

“Are you alright?” That voice. That deep baritone. Throndir smiled and pressed his cheek against him, inhaling deeply in his scent. This was a dream, and Red Jack was here to save him.

* * *

“Hey, Throndir,” Red Jack crouched to get to eye level with Throndir, enveloping his shoulders and part of his arms with his hands, “Talk to me, are you hurt? Can you walk?”

“Sorry, I...” Throndir knew he had been staring at his face for too long, but it had never been a problem in his other dreams. This didn’t feel like his stress dreams at all. No, it was just like that vivid dream had been ten years ago, like the brief one five years ago. His whole body ached from the tumble, just like he had hurt that time. He tested his legs and both held. “I think I can manage.”

“This is not how I imagined meeting you again,” Red Jack laughed out loud, that cavernous laugh that seemed to reach every corner of the mountains. “But it’s good being around you again.”

“It’s good to see you again, too,” Throndir said, it felt the right thing to say. Now that it felt so real, Throndir would be embarrassed to talk about the kind of meeting he had had with Red Jack earlier that day, even if only in dreams. “Where are going? What are we doing?”

“Eager, eh? I like that!” Red Jack clapped his shoulder, making him almost lose balance. “But first I want to check you, you took a good tumble from up there.”

Without another word, Red Jack started walking and Throndir followed. It was amazing to see him in this much detail, being able to appreciate his ripples of muscles shining red under the moonlight, the horns that pointed proudly towards the sky, his long black mane… Throndir smiled, his heart so warm that he stopped feeling for a second the bruises through his body. Sometimes, being in love with a fairytale wasn’t all that bad.

They walked into the forest again, deeper and deeper into the thickest parts, but Red Jack didn’t hesitate on his steps and so, neither did Throndir. Eventually, they reached a small clearing with an almost dilapidated hut. Throndir looked around, but the clearing wasn’t much bigger than the hut itself, nothing could be hiding.

Ten years ago, Red Jack had been followed by a gaggle of oni children, and all of them had been living with the plant people, the Weavers, they were helping. Five years later, he and his children had been wandering around with a town of moth people. He had expected something similar, but, this time, they were alone.

“Where are we?” Throndir asked, following him into the hut. It was just one room with a cot and a stove.

“My hut in these parts of the world,” Red Jack grumbled, opening a window to let the soft breeze in.

“You’re alone,” Throndir stated the obvious.

“Come sit here,” Red Jack sat on the cot himself and patted the space beside him. Throndir quickly sat by him. “My children are waiting for me elsewhere, I had to make this trip alone.”

“And the Weavers? The Mothkin?”

“They’ve been taking care of themselves for a while now,” Red Jack turned to him, put his hand on his shoulder. “I’ve been to many places and met many people during this long time we’ve been apart.”   
“And yet you remember me,” Throndir smiled, more cheeky than he would normally be in real life.

“I remember many things,” Red Jack laughed, but didn’t disagree. “Take your shirt off, I need to see your bruises.

Maybe this dream could still turn the way the ones he usually had did. Throndir didn’t hesitate, immediately pulled the shirt over his head and aside. Red Jack looked him up and down, appraising him in a way that made him blush all over. And Red Jack would see it clearly on his brown skin, which only made him feel hotter.

A big hand settled on his ribs, pressing gently over them, then down his soft stomach. Throndir bit his lip, both fearing and wishing to let a moan through them.

“You’re going to have a few blue spots tomorrow, but nothing feels broken,” Red Jack said, letting his hand rest on Throndir’s waist, smiling at him widely, showing him his rows of sharp teeth. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

“I’m a ranger, I can take care of myself,” Throndir said, because in dream world one could be whatever they wanted, right? If he could flirt with a creature of myth, he could also have whatever job he wanted. He scooted closer to Red Jack. “I’ve missed your touch.”

Red Jack laughed again, bowing to be closer to him, “have you even thought about me?”

Every night I couldn’t bear being alone, he wanted to say. “As if I could ever forget you,” it’s what Throndir said. Red Jack’s hand set firm on his hip and Throndir’s hands immediately went to his shoulders.

The last time they had really met, Red Jack had run away just before they could kiss. It was absurd, because it was only a dream, but Throndir had regretted all these years not pursuing him, not coaxing him to talk to him instead of running away.

No words were exchanged. Throndir just moved to be even closer to Red Jack, half climbing into his lap when it was clear he was not going to be anywhere as near as he wanted to sitting on the cot.

Red Jack’s free hand buried itself in Throndir’s locks, almost gripping the back of his neck, waiting. Throndir smiled, looking at this giant of a man being so gentle with him, giving him a thousand chances to say no. Throndir tilted his head and pressed his lips against his, not waiting for two heartbeats before coaxing Red Jack’s tongue into his mouth.

A second later, his back hit the cot, a hand holding his wrists over his head and the hot wall of muscle that is Red Jack flushed against his body. So much more real, so much more exhilarating than his usual dreams. Only, this time, he didn’t wake up.

* * *

Throndir fell asleep covered in sweat and curled into Red Jack’s heat, despite the weather being warm that evening. He opened his eyes expecting to be back in his tent, Kodiak snoring by his side. But the snores he heard were much louder, and he felt uncomfortably warm and sticky. He opened his eyes to the wooden ceiling of Red Jack’s hut.

His dreams had never lasted over the night. Not like this. He hadn’t really “sleep” in his past vivid dreams and both times he remembered walking back to his tent before waking up. Carefully, he disentangled himself from Red Jack’s arm, put on his pants and stepped outside.

He ran a hand over the bruises that had bloomed all over his torso and legs, wincing a bit. All his body was an uncomfortable ache, but, nevertheless, he felt rested. Throndir sat on the slightly elevated porch and let his head sink into his hands.

The sound of something rushing violently through the trees made him immediately stand up, ready to bolt inside. Then he was sure, no matter what evidence against it, that this was still a dream. Following the storm of noises, a gigantic horse and Kodiak came running from among the trees.

“Ace! It took you long enough!” Red Jack called from behind him, while he kneeled to get an armful of a very excited Kodiak. His face sank among Kodiak’s thick fur and it felt as real as it could. Kodiak tossed and turned to lick every part of him he could reach.

“Were you worried, buddy?” Throndir asked in a low voice. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“Hey, you okay there?”

Throndir felt the weight of Red Jack’s hand on his shoulder, comforting where it should have scared him. Because…

“This is not a dream, is it? And the last two times, it wasn’t either,” Throndir sit up, but didn’t take his eyes from Kodiak.

“You thought it was?” Red Jack asked and settled down beside him on his porch, while Ace ignored them all and went to eat some grass elsewhere.

“It didn’t feel like one, but the next morning it was all normal again,” Throndir shook his head. “You were gone, the Weavers were gone, the Mothkin were gone, and I was home. Life went on as it usually did. What else could I think?”

“Once they were safe, I left the Weavers and the Mothkin behind,” Red Jack explained. “I had… matters to attend to.”

Of course, Throndir remembered how their conversation had switched to life and death, and how Red Jack had looked. How he had stood without a warning and left, just when they had been so close to… Throndir shook his head again.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Throndir smiled at him and reached with his hand across the porch, not quite touching Red Jack’s. “I’m glad you found me again.”

“We had unfinished business, didn’t we?” Red Jack laughed, less booming than before, and reached to cover Throndir’s hand with his palm.

“I guess we did,” Throndir laughed at that and covered half his face with one hand. “I can’t believe we… if I had known it wasn’t a dream I would have… I don’t know, talk to you more before going straight to…”

“We have a little time to talk now, don’t we?”

Throndir scooted closer so their arms were flush against each other, “we do.”

* * *

Even though he now knew this wasn’t a dream, the world around him still felt too bright and colourful to feel it. The grass felt too soft under his bare feet, Kodiak looked too happy jumping around them… Red Jack’s hand on his was too warm and real.

They had gone to pick up Throndir’s tent and stuff from his camping site so he could move into the cabin for the night and next day. He would have to go back to town before night fell on Sunday… Throndir chased those thoughts away. Spoiled dreams and a soul-sucking job had no weight on him when Red Jack laughed at whatever thing he had said, when he could look at his side and have him look back at him with his lively eyes.

After that, Throndir started to lead them through the paths he had intended to visit during the weekend. Throndir had walked them a thousand times and Red Jack had seen enough of them, but none of that mattered. When they reached a nook on the mountain wall from where they could see the whole valley, Throndir sat down and took a thermos and two cups from his backpack.

With an appreciative hum, Red Jack sat beside him and let Throndir put a cup on his hand and pour him warm tea. They drank in silence and enjoyed the view and each other’s company. Once the cups were back inside the pack, Red Jack put an arm around Throndir’s shoulders. His hand was that weight that already felt so familiar.

“There’s a reason I came here now,” Red Jack said in a low rumble, almost as if he was talking against his own will.

“And it’s not me,” Throndir laughed, “I could’ve already guessed.”

“It is you,” Red Jack said unfazed. “And it is because I wanted to see you before I move far away.”

“You haven’t been here in all these years, right? You’re always on the move?” Throndir asked, turning to face him completely. He didn’t understand. Red Jack nodded. “Then what do you mean by ‘far away’?”

“Way farther away than I’ve ever been,” Red Jack looked into the distance. “My children are getting ready to leave. They’re excited to see new places, learn and grow. I’ve been going around and tying loose ends for a while.”

“And this is the last one you had,” Throndir nodded. Part of him wanted to be angry, but the little fire he felt at the bottom of his stomach was immediately quenched. He gulped through the knot on his throat. “You wanted to say goodbye to me? Why?”

“You spend a few days with a guy and then remember him for a decade, it must mean something, right?” Red Jack shrugged. “It felt wrong. Just vanishing without a word,” then he laughed. “Not that you would’ve known, thinking it had been all a dream.”

“I thought about you too, you know?” Throndir said, feeling his cheeks get hotter. “All these years, I wanted nothing more than to meet you in one of those ‘vivid dreams’ again.”

“Mmm?” Red Jack hummed. “I’m here now.”

“You are,” Throndir gulped, “for another day?”

“Until you decide,” Red Jack shifted his hand to Throndir’s cheek. “One way or the other.”

“I… I can only stay up here until tomorrow,” Throndir said slowly, letting his brain process Red Jack’s words. “Are you asking me to go with you?”

“I’m offering you the possibility of leaving this country and, possibly, this plane of existence,” Red Jack smiled at him. “Most likely forever.”

“With you.”

“With me.”

Throndir took a deep breath and let it out. Red Jack squeezed his shoulder, gently pulling him towards his body. Throndir let himself be pulled until his head was resting on Red Jack’s wide chest. This could be his life. No more eternal shifts at the café, no more hoping to be able to pay his bills every month, no more… no more seeing his friend.

“I need to think about it,” Throndir said. He didn’t move, just closed his eyes and focused on the heat Red Jack radiated.

“I don’t expect you to say yes,” Red Jack said evenly. “You have a life with other mortals here.”

“And you’re never long in the same place. Always running here and there, saving moth people villages.”

Red Jack laughed and Throndir could feel it rumbling through his chest, “I’ve heard a little bird saying this time we could be fighting a dragon.”

“You don’t sound worried.”

“The chance to measure yourself against such a creature… that’s worth dying for,” Red Jack sighed. “Not that I will, I’ve survived everything and everyone who has tried their chances against me until now.”

“I guess one doesn’t become the subject of legends without a reason,” Throndir opened his eyes and moved in Red Jack’s embrace to face him.

They didn’t need any more words. Red Jack’s moved the hand that wasn’t around Throndir to his face. He tilted it slightly upwards and getting close enough that they could feel each other’s breath, but not enough to touch. Red Jack smiled.

Out of patience, Throndir turned his whole body and got to his knees to grab Red Jack’s face and pulled him into a heated kiss. Big hands settled on his hips and easily lifted him off the ground and on Red Jack’s lap. Throndir slipped his hands under the folds of his robe.

This could be his life.

* * *

They were barely going to make it into the cabin before it got dark. Then, Throndir stumbled on a rock and, even though he steadied himself without issue, Red Jack’s hand was already on his waist. So Throndir turned to kiss him as a thank you, and then they kissed again and again.

When they started walking again, it was almost dark and the last rays of sun died while they were under the thick canopy of trees. Throndir couldn’t see a thing before him, but Red Jack’s steady arm around his shoulders guided him, and Kodiak walked pressed to his other side. It was disorienting, but at least he knew he wouldn’t fall down a ravine or walk into a tree.

All at once, Red Jack stopped him with a hand on his chest, and Kodiak started growling quietly next to him. They had to be close to the end of the trees now, as some light made its way through their branches. Red Jack’s eyes were fixed ahead of them, seeing something Throndir couldn’t. A glint on his left hip: Red Jack had taken the short sword he carried with him.

“Stay here and don’t come out until I tell you to,” Red Jack whispered to him.

“What can I do to help?” Throndir asked, trying to look beyond the trees at what had alerted both Red Jack and Kodiak so much. He couldn’t see much beyond the shadows of the forest, but he tensed in alert.

“Stay alert, watch my back. If you safely can, get into the hut and bring me my  _ nodachi _ ,” Red Jack said. When Throndir looked at him, he was smiling. “And enjoy the spectacle.”

Without letting Throndir put in another word, he roared and charged forward. Kodiak started barking more loudly, but Throndir quickly put a hand on his collar to stop him from getting into the fight. As soon as he understood what Throndir wanted, Kodiak got really quiet. Together, they advanced among the trees, trying to always keep some cover between them and the clearing, trying to get to the other side, behind the hut, without being seen.

Soon, there was just a tree between him and the fight that was unfolding before Red Jack’s hut. Four tall people surrounded him. Or, at least, they were human-shaped people wearing what looked like medieval armour. But the way they moved made him wonder what was actually under the steel.

Careful not to bring more attention to himself, Throndir reached into his backpack to take his flare gun. Better to have it at hand. Despite the suddenness and seriousness of the moment, Throndir couldn’t help becoming a bit slack-jawed at the sight that was Red Jack fighting. Sparks went off where his blade met the steel of his assailants, while he danced around them with a grace reserved for ballerinas, not huge warriors of myth.

Throndir waited until all the armours had their backs to him and rushed to the cover of another tree together with Kodiak, almost at the back of the hut. A quick look told him that all four attackers were still engaged with Red Jack, so he gripped his gun tightly and made a run for the door.

As he put a step inside he saw two things at once: Red Jack’s and his meagre belongings had been tossed around and searched; the person responsible was probably this armoured asshole who was looking straight at him. Without thinking twice, he shot straight to their head. Fortunately, the place was small and the  _ nodachi _ , huge; he barely had to extend one arm to grab it and drag it with him outside.

“There’s another one inside!” Throndir shouted as he tossed the sword with all his strength. Just like in a movie, Red Jack took it with one hand in the air and, as if time itself had slowed down, unsheathed it. Throndir watched agape how his sweeps threw the armoured people to the ground, some metal parts falling metres away from them.

Something pulled from him backwards, but, before he could even hit the ground, a giant mass of fluff jumped above him and tackled his attacker. Gripping his gun, he turned intending to shoot again, but a heavy hand on his shoulder stopped him. Red Jack stood beside him, looking at the armour that laid on the ground under Kodiak’s 75 kilos.

“You don’t belong in here,” Red Jack said simply and pushed the tip of the  _ nodachi  _ through the crevice where the helmet met the armour. They stopped moving. Red Jack cut the air twice and set the  _ nodachi  _ back into its sheath.

“What do we do now?” Throndir asked, feeling a bit out of breath.

“Let’s get inside and drink some tea,” Red Jack put his hand back on Throndir’s shoulder and pulled him closer to himself before directing him inside the hut.

* * *

Throndir helped Red Jack put their things back into place, which barely took five minutes. Then, Red Jack made him sit on a pillow by the corner and wait while he started to boil water. Kodiak settled flush against him; he smiled and started to pet him. His breed may have been bred to hunt bears, but Kodiak had had quite the sheltered life after meeting Throndir. Both of them were out of their depths.

“It’s okay, buddy,” Throndir whispered to him. “Thank you, you saved my neck back there.”

Kodiak woofed softly and turned to cover Throndir’s face with sloppy dog kisses.

Soon after, two steaming cups were put in front of him and Red Jack sat behind him, easily bracketing Throndir with his legs and arms. Throndir turned to give him a weak smile and laid back to rest on his chest.

“Good shot back there,” Red Jack said. “Do you do that often?”

“Not really,” Throndir gave a dry laugh. “I carry it for safety, in case I get lost or injured. When I was a child my father taught me how to shoot. We used to hunt most of our food.”

“Good memories?”   
“Not really,” Throndir shrunk a little. “They were hard times and my father didn’t really… I don’t know, care about me? Maybe? I had to leave the town when I was older, I haven’t seen anyone from there since.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Red Jack squeezed him surprisingly softly.

“It’s okay, I’ve had my best buddy ever since,” Throndir scratched Kodiak behind the ears and he made a happy sound. “It was rough, but I was never alone.”

Throndir reached to take the hot tea between his hands and took a quick sip. It was warm on his mouth and had a particular burn down his throat. He turned to give Red Jack a playful smile.   
“This is more than just tea.”

“You could use some help to calm down after…” Red Jack gestured towards outside. “Sorry to have gotten you caught up on that.”

“Are those the… people? People. Who you’re fighting in this other place?”

“They are part of them, yes,” Red Jack said. “Whether they’re people or not, everyone has their own opinion. Hasn’t heard them say anything about it, yet. They’re man-made soldiers, powered by forces beyond…”

His voice, the low rumble in his chest, and the tea and the alcohol did wonders to make Throndir feel safer again. Red Jack went on to tell him stories of these people, and then about the Mothkin that Throndir had met five years ago. He was sure the story was starting to hint the presence of an ancient dragon re-awoken from its bones, but Throndir didn’t manage to stay awake to hear the reveal.

* * *

He woke up alone and, stumbling and groggy, he rushed outside. The sun was right above his head and Ace and Kodiak played on the clearing. Breathing easier, Throndir sat on the porch to look at them.

A string pulled at this heart. Kodiak looked so happy, running freely with his friend instead of having to spend time inside a tiny apartment and only getting out when Throndir or one of his neighbours could take him out for walks.

The sun felt so warm on his skin, the breeze was so easy to breathe and not feel his inside burning. Kodiak came to his side to quickly lick at his hands.

“You don’t want to go back there, right?” Throndir asked with a smile. “Me neither.”

“And yet, there’s a grave danger before you if you decide to accompany me,” Red Jack voice boomed from beyond the trees before he appeared in the clearing. “You’ve seen what I am against.”

“Are you trying to convince me to go back to my boring life?” Throndir laughed. “I thought you had come one last time to swoop me off my feet and take me with you.”

“I never said that,” Red Jack raised a finger. “But I wouldn’t be opposed. I want to make sure you understand what you’re getting yourself into. Of course, I trust you to hold your own against our enemies!”

“You’re going to have to teach me a thing or two, though. If I want to survive,” Throndir smiled at him. His hands were trembling. He was making this decision and his heart told him it was the right move, but still, it was a big decision.

“We don’t need to leave today,” Red Jack sat beside him and put his arm around Throndir’s shoulder in a way that was starting to feel familiar. “Go back home. Take your time. Say your goodbyes and pick up your things. And then, come back to me.”

“Will I meet you here?” Throndir asked.

“Nah, after today I’ll move camp,” Red Jack turned him to look into eyes. “I’ll meet you at the edge town once you’re ready to go.”

“And how will you know?” Throndir laughed, short. Red Jack leaned in and gave him a brief kiss on the lips.

“I’ll know.”

* * *

That night, Throndir barely slept. The four walls of his apartment seemed even narrower than they ever had, urging him to go outside. He tried to sleep, falling asleep for an hour or two and waking up again.

Eventually, he looked at the clock: five in the morning. There was no point in trying to sleep any longer. Kodiak was wide awake by his side so, in the end, they decided to go for a walk around the block.

Every building was familiar, and yet, he could barely remember a couple of significant things that had happened to him in the whole city. He had come because he had found a good job, then he had lost the job and gotten himself a shitty one because rent didn’t wait for anyone.

There had always been the hope of saving enough money to move again and go to college, but, year after year, it all had seemed more like a mirage than a real plan. He might as well have planned for winning the lottery, it felt.

He hadn’t realized how far away from home he had gotten until he saw the café in front of him. He sat on the low wall that separated the street from the road.

“What have we been doing here?” Throndir sank his hand in Kodiak’s fluffy hair, who leant against it. He laughed dryly. “What are we even doing?”

Now that he was again surrounded by his normal life it all seemed absurd. Like, yeah, maybe he would never go to college, but there was no reason he had to continue working as an underpaid waiter for the rest of his life. He could still find a good job in another city. At the very least, that didn’t seem like a good reason to just drop off the planet, literally.

“Hey,” a voice beside him called. “You’re early. Like, way too early.”

“So are you,” Throndir sat straight again. Meek was probably the person he was closest to in town or, at least, the person he talked more often with.

“It’s good to feel the breeze in my face, man,” Meek smiled at him. “And also I have to open today. But you didn’t work until the afternoon today, right?”

“Yeah, about that…” Throndir bit his lip. “I don’t think I’ll be able to. I’m skipping town.”

“No way! What did you do on your weird spiritual trip to the mountains, man?”

“It was just some trekking,” Throndir forces a laugh. “I received an offer. I think I have to take it.”

“Well, almost everything would be better than this,” Meek pointed to the café with their head. “Gonna miss you, but I’m happy to finally see you moving your ass.”

“What?”

“You were stuck here, even I could see that,” Meek shrugged. “It was about time for you to move on. You and me, man, we’re not made to stay in one place for long.”

Throndir genuinely laughed at that, “you’re probably right.”

“You were going to do that shift, right?”   
“Yeah…” Throndir sighed. “But I don’t think I can. If I did…”

“You’ll move on,” Meek shook their head. “Like, don’t do it. But even if you did, you’d move on. You’ve already made a choice.”

Throndir looked in front of him. He wasn’t so sure, when even a night in town not being able to sleep and walking through empty streets had made him doubt.

“You are sure about it, aren’t you?” It wasn’t a question.

Throndir just had to think about walking by Red Jack’s side, holding his hand and leaning against his warm chest. He smiled.

“I think I am.”

* * *

Throndir did not do his last shift. He just told the manager that morning that he would be leaving, turned around and went back to his apartment. Once there, he called his landlord telling him he would be leaving the apartment. He took a few clothes and the few things that had travelled with him since he left home. And that was it. Throndir and Kodiak were ready to start their new journey.

Red Jack hadn’t been specific, but Throndir trusted him. He locked the door and slipped the keys in the mailbox at the entrance of the building. Part of him wanted to turn back, at least say goodbye to the place that he had spent all these years. He couldn’t look back.

The sun was setting already. The day had felt so long but, at the same time, as if it hadn’t existed at all. He walked towards the entrance of the town, barely five minutes from where he had lived.

By the edge of the road it was quiet, people uncommonly absent. Two huge figures awaited by the curve where the road disappeared behind a mound. One of them was waving wildly and Throndir smiled. He adjusted his pack and patted Kodiak on the head.

“Okay, buddy. Let’s go!”

Throndir ran the rest of the way to Red Jack and jumped into his open arms.


End file.
